How to rent a house - Practical user's guide

The web is teeming with articles telling the "tricks" or "rules" for renting a house without surprises, or even without a real estate agency. Of course, to rent a house you don't need a real estate agency, you can very well do it yourself, but if you are reading this article, you are probably not so sure...

Let's come to us:

How does one go about renting a house?

this article is divided into 3 parts:

1. The property to be rented
2. Tenant selection
3. The lease agreement

Let's look at the first stage, which is the preparation of rental documentation.

The property to be rented

In this part you will find the list of all those tricks that will come in handy if you want to rent a house in serenity:

• Plant compliance: To rent a property you will necessarily have to have the certificate of conformity of the electrical system ( we are talking about circuit breaker, grounding, etc..) issued by a licensed electrician, plumbing compliance ( ventilation intakes in case of gas systems and safety valves in the kitchen and in the water system ) and heat system booklet verified, this means that the property must have a plant booklet where all thermal sources are considered ( stoves, fireplaces, air conditioning, boilers, solar panels, boilers etc etc ) and that all maintenance has been carried out before handing over the property to the tenant
• Good state of the property: according to Article 1575 of the Civil Code , the landlord has an obligation to "deliver the property in good condition" therefore, it is necessary to check that there are no malfunctions and damages to the house. In addition, if you want the apartment to be returned at the end of the lease painted and clean, you must deliver it in this state at the beginning of the lease
• Right to be able to dispose of the property: many people take it for granted, but in reality one does not always hold the right to be able to lease a property. If the property is foreclosed, for example, you cannot dispose of the property. If someone else holds the usufruct of the house, you cannot rent it out without their approval. the same is true if you have a right of abode, nor if the house has been assigned to you by a judge following a separation, as a "marital home" ( for the exclusive use of the spouse/children). So you have to ascertain the right to be able to enter into a lease, before you sign a contract.
• Energy Performance Certificate (APE): since 2013 it has been mandatory that in every real estate transfer - even lease - there must be certification of the energy class prepared by a licensed thermotechnician. This obligation also applies when "promoting" the property, that is, when advertising it, even if only in street signs.
• Ancillary/condominium expenses: it is good to have a clear idea of what are (if any) the condominium expenses of the leased property unit. The building manager will be able to give you an idea of what expenses will remain with the property and what will be the tenant's responsibility.

Tenant selection

Below are some tips and questions, to check the reliability of a tenant and select your suitable tenant.

• Needs: first of all it is best to make it clear what you are offering and what you are looking for; Most people looking for a home do not know what they want or need. It is good to investigate potential tenants' needs, habits, number of family members, wants etc. It is useless to show a studio apartment to a couple with a child on the way.
• Congruence: the questions you ask must have a logical thread that must be respected, I am not talking about doing an interrogation, but checking that the answers are congruent with the "story" they are telling you. Knowing why a tenant changes houses is a starting point. Is there a concrete motivation or has he been kicked out of the house? Does the job he said he was going to exist? You have to become a bloodhound here.
• Solvency: Pay stubs, tax returns, track of previous rent payments, bank statements are always good. However, we need to check whether the role occupied by our interlocutor within the company is stable or occasional (in addition to checking whether the company he or she works for is healthy ) you don't do anything with a bank employee if the bank in question has announced cuts of 5,000 redundancies, or with a permanent employee of a bankrupt company.
• Habits: this aspect is the most difficult to assess; How a tenant will keep house is always an unknown...here one must be a fine observer; clothing, details, statements can be indicative of a person's disposition. Beware, however, that clothes don't always make the man: I have often seen "bank managers" living the house in an unbecoming manner.
• Rata/income ratio: if the person who proposes to take your house for rent has an income of 1000 € per month, it does not mean that he/she can sustain a rent of 800 € (in fact, he/she would never be able to!!) you have to consider if he/she has children or relatives who are dependent, financing, the costs the direct costs of managing the property (bills and various costs) and finally... one must also live!!! so do the math in your interlocutor's pocket!!!

The lease agreement

Once the property is affixed, found your ideal tenant, all that remains is to sign the contract no? WRONG!!! First, it is necessary to ascertain the needs of the parties and study the contract that best meets them.

• Tenant's needs:First of all, it is good to ascertain the tenant's needs-how long will he stay in the house? Does he have needs of a transitory nature? Is he looking for a long term tenancy? If the tenant has a 6-month work contract and already knows that he will then be transferred, it is useless to propose a 3+2 or 4+4 contract, but it will be better to have a transitional type of contract.
• Contract: Not all contracts are the same, some give certain advantages, others give tax breaks that can come in handy for you. Can I do 3+2? Can I do the dry coupon? Does it suit? Does it not suit me? You don't do random contracts. The most commonly used contract ( for tax benefits ) is the housing agreement, but you can't always do it.
• Legislation: originally there was law 392/78 then law 431/89 (famous fair fee) Today?Have you checked the current legislation? Are you in line with what the legislature requires of you?

You thought it was easy huh?

In this article you have found some of the insights that I use daily in my work, if you need to learn more about the legislation related to housing agreement ( in Verona ) in this article you will find all the instructions.

If, on the other hand, you have given up on the idea of finalizing a lease on your own and think my contribution might be useful to you, you can find my contact information and other interested content on this page.